Did you know that the North Rim Lodge and the South Rim Lodge are only 10 miles apart? And yet the shortest drive between the two is 210 miles long?Now let’s put that in perspective… You want to get from Spencer Center to Leicester Center. You leave Spencer and head WEST. Drive all the way to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT. Turn around and head EAST, drive all the way to Logan Airport in Boston. Now turn around and head West back to Leicester Center.

The North Rim has shown us its true rustic colors, a haven for backpackers and nature seekers. Now we are headed to the South Rim and we are doing it in “Full-On Tourist Style”

The DutchStar is parked in the RV Resort at the Grand Canyon Railway Station in Williams, Arizona and we are off to board the train for a scenic trip up to the South Rim. We have booked the Luxury Observation Car for this trip which comes with a light breakfast buffet, two fully stocked bars and a relaxation parlor below complete with lounging couches and plush chairs. The train features an Old West décor and theme with live entertainment on board and a US Marshall with a Six-Gun on his side to keep everybody in line. This is our first real trip on a train and the views from the observation car are stunning, we are loving every minute of it including time outside on the rear platform of the Luxury Parlor Car. It is a little over two hours of pampered heaven before we reach the Railway Station at the Grand Canyon.

We head straight to the Hotel Check-in desk and manage to upgrade our room to a “Canyon View” instead of a “Parking Lot View”. I am guessing you can tell the significance of the upgrade. There is a tree outside our window but it barely hinders the amazing view outside. We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering along the Rim Trail in awe of the incredible sights before us.

The next morning we jump on the tour bus for a trip up to Hermit’s Rest. The bus makes 9 stops along the 8 mile journey out to Hermit’s Rest and each stop provides a completely different landscape and panoramic view of the Canyon below. There is a gift shop at Hermit’s Rest before returning back to the Village.

We head over to the Food Court and grab a late lunch then wander off toward the Railway Station as we prepare to head back to Williams.

The return trip on the train is just as exciting. In true Wild West form we experience an old fashion train robbery with the handkerchief masked Bad Guys taking money from all of us. We even get to view a gorgeous sunset over the rugged Arizona terrain to complete our scenic two day adventure before arriving at the station in Williams.